Gifts given graciously
by gabeclone
Summary: A repository of one shots I've created as gifts for other people.
1. LoudLurkers gift

I just watched Scooby Doo and the Frankencreep. It literally left me speechless. I love it. Anyway, this is LoudLurkers Decemberween gift. I've found that most people know of Cthulhu and the other elder gods through reference alone. Most haven't actually read the original stories. So I read Call of the Cthulhu. The ending was pretty disappointing, but I'm glad I put in the effort to do it. I now have a much better understanding of the tones and themes brought to the table by these things.

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Lana kicked the dirt in frustration. She'd just wanted to spend some time with her twin. What was so bad about that? They didn't play together as much, since Lola got noticed. That stupid old dude who spent so much time around Lola these days. That wasn't nice. Mr. Thomson wasn't stupid. It was Lola who was acting like a jerk. She spent so much time alone with him these days, after he'd told her he'd show her how to win her competitions. She came back sweaty and red in the face, like they'd spent the whole time wrestling. Lana wanted to do that to! But did Lola let her? Noooooooo, Lola had to have her new friend all to herself. IT WASN'T FAIR! Lana stomped her foot on the ground.

Now she had to find something else to do. She had to find someone else to play with. She had all her pets, but they weren't the same. They were nice, but sometimes you needed another person. She ran a list of other people she could hang out with through her head. Instantly throwing out all people she wasn't related to. She didn't have that many friends outside her family. The other girls in elementary school were all into ponies, dresses, and tea-parties. Lola fit in perfectly. The boys thought she had cooties… Whatever those were. Whatever though. Who needed them? Who needed people to play with? Who needed friends?! Who needed LOLA!? She kicked a rock, beaming it off a tree.

She wanted someone to play with though. Going down the list of people who were in her family, she thought of Lori first… Than thought better. Lori wasn't a very nice person. She had her moments, but Lincoln once told her that someone who was only nice some of the time to some of the people, wasn't a nice person. He was talking about someone else at the time, but Lana thought it worked here too.

Leni was… Well, Lana wasn't very old and hadn't been alive for very long, but even she knew that Leni was a… She didn't know how to put it nicely.

Luna was cool, and Lana loved her music, but they didn't really like any of the same things.

Same with Luan.

Lynn though, Lynn was the closest to Lana in personality than any of her other siblings. They both likes playing outdoors. They both liked getting dirty. They both liked playing rough. Lynn was Lanas perfect older sister. They had their fights, but they made up faster than they made up with anyone else, except their roommates. The idea of playing with Lynn clicked in Lanas head. It was perfect.

She turned and rushed inside, the screen door clattering in the frame as she passed. Jogging through the empty kitchen, she made her way up the stairs. Holding onto the railing, like Lincoln always told her to so she didn't fall down and hurt herself. She skipped to Lynns door. Lynn would probably want to play some kind of sport, but Lana was cool with that. Sports weren't her favorite, but they were still fun, and after she might be able to convince her older sister to wrestle in the mud or something. She twisted the knob and dashed in, only to screech to a stop.

Lynn wasn't here, but Lucy was. She was breathing deeply, and sweating. She looked like she was sick, and Lana felt an immediate fear. Colds were always really bad in the Loud house, but Lucy wasn't snotty or pale. She wasn't calling out, or groaning in pain. The room was silent. Like someone had taken all that made noise in the world and erased it from existence. Lana couldn't even hear her own heartbeat or breathing. She cautiously moved closer, because as much as the idea of getting sick frightened her, Lana was still worried about her older sister.

Her black dress blended in with her black sheets, and Lana wasn't sure if she would have noticed Lucy, if Lucy wasn't also wearing her custom striped socks and sleeves. As she got closer she started… Hearing… Something. It, it didn't sound like… Sound… It felt like something was scratching in the inside of her skull, trying to get out. It felt like something was whispering words into her ear. Words that she didn't understand. Lucys eyes were open, twitching about, not focusing on anything.

Then she heaved. Sitting straight up, and staring at the wall. Her breathing calmed down and she blinked a few times.

...

She couldn't remember what she'd just been doing, not really. Only flashes of memory came through, but Lucy was grateful for that. More than anything else, she didn't want to remember more. She didn't want to know more. What she knew already was too much, and she didn't know if she'd be able to handle more.

"Lucy?" She snapped her head to the side, searching for the one who'd seen her in this, her most vulnerable of moments.

Lana was looking at her. Her eyes wide like a doe. Lucy could only hope she'd not been contaminated. She didn't know if the. A shudder ran through her body. She didn't know if they had the power to ensnare others through proximity, but Lucy couldn't assume weakness on their part. She refused to assume weakness.

"Are you okay?" Her younger, innocent, naive, littler sister asked her. More than anything, Lucy wished she could borrow some of Lanas ignorance.

"I'm fine." She got out.

She needed to do something. Her head was pounding and her tongue was numb. Her blood felt heavy in her body. It was. Her eyes fluttered as she fought their call. There were, there were rituals. Her stomach lurched as her resisted their pull. It was unbearable. A scrabbling, and clawing, and grinding of claws against bone. A fear, deep in her that refused to let her go. The rushing of blood over rocks, flooding through her veins, seeping between the floorboards. How a knife sung. A symphony. Luna would love it.

Lucy shook her head.

"What are you doing here?" She asked her sister.

"I… I was looking for Lynn" Lana hesitated to answer at first.

"She'd not here. Football practice." Lucy explained at length.

"Oh…" Lana trailed off, looking saddened by the news.

Lucy couldn't think about that now. An escape. There needed to be one, even if it took a while. She just needed distance for now. She needed to give them something else to play with.

"Well, do you want to play?" Her eyes tracked back over to Lana. She was about to say no, but… Something held her back.

Thinking about it. This… This could be it. Lucy wasn't in the right frame of mind to be trusted with the decision herself. She needed someone to make the choice. Someone untainted by what she knew, what she'd experienced. Lana could help her.

"Yes." She found herself answering, "I need something first though."

"What is it?" Lana stepped back apprehensively.

How to say this. How to phrase it. What words to use to get Lana to give her exactly what she wanted. Someone innocent. They would never be interested it someone tainted. Someone innocent, but deserving. Of course, Lana was six. Lucy doubted she yet knew anyone who'd been corrupted by the sick that seeped through the veils of reality and stained the thoughts of those open to the message.

"I need someone to punish." She settled on.

"What?" Lana asked, confusion coloring her features.

"I need someone to punish." She repeated.

Lana became contemplative. Thinking through her options. Deciding who she knew that deserved some retribution. A bitter smile broke over her face.

"Lola." She supplied.

Lucy blinked. She'd not trusted herself. She'd considered Lola. Could she not trust Lana either? No, she had to trust someone. Lana was untainted. Lucy was sure. If she said Lola deserved to be punished… It opened the way. Things she didn't trust herself to do. Cut out the fat. Sever the undesirable from the pack. That was how nature worked. She rose from her bed and gathered her things. That which she would need. Instructing Lana to take her to Lolas bed, she set everything out and began the ceremony. A flash here, a slice there. Life essence soaking into the sheets. She was done.

She brought everything back to her room and followed Lana outside. Indulging her sister in her play. They shared a love of animals in the past. Bats for her, Frogs and everything else for Lana. That was still true. She refused to let the mother take everything from her.

Lana laughed splashed mud on her. Lucy sat in a particularly deep puddle. She fell to her side, and she rolled over. The muck blocking out the sun, and the sky. Providing a tranquil relief and a curtain of safety. She wished that a fissure would open beneath her and swallow her whole. Protect her from the stars.

...

As Lola prepared for bed, she thought back on her day. Mr. Thompson. He was so nice. When he'd first shown interest in her, she wasn't sure what he wanted, but he'd shown her the best things. He took her aside and called her pretty where everyone else called her cute. He trusted her. He showed her the secret ways that adults played when kids weren't looking, and as long as she kept it a secret he would continue to show her.

A giggle bubbled from her. She dressed for bed and climbed in. Closing her eyes, she was asleep as soon as her head touched the pillow.

She was standing in the forest. The trees were high. The branches swayed in the breeze. The night sky was pretty. The stars twinkled, saying hello to her, even as she explored her magical environment. Her feet padded against the grass, her arms held out like she was a plane, and she ran around the trees having the time of her life.

Something moved from the corner of her eye and giggling, she chased after it. She didn't know what it was. It stayed out of sight at every turn. Visible for only a moment. Only long enough to tell her where to go next. Laughter burst from her and she ran faster, hoping to catch up. Eventually she broke the tree line and found herself in a clearing. Whatever she'd been chasing wasn't anywhere in sight, and she wondered where it could have gone.

A breeze. A sudden chill shot through her body and she shivered. making her way to the center of the clearing, she looked around. Then came a sound that wasn't really a sound. Like a call for attention. She looked up. Above her, where there was empty sky before, a mass hung low. An upside down tree made of crystalline flesh. It's roots merging into the sky around it. Going in directions that didn't make sense and hurt to look at. Lolas brain churned. Branches hung down and swayed in an unfelt wind. Chasm like mouths opened and closed. Unsupported masses hung in the sky around it. Lola could feel her eyes vibrating in her sockets as she tried to look away, but her body didn't listen to her. She pulled with all her might to drag her gaze back to the ground, but she wasn't in control anymore.

With what she was still allowed to witness of the forest around her. Masses of flesh and malformed bodies dragged themselves from the trees. Surrounding the clearing. They got closer. gurgling wetly and groaning softly. Lola couldn't run, she couldn't hide, she couldn't scream, she couldn't even bring herself to close her eyes. When the hideous bodies closed in around her, all she could do was hope she woke up before it was over.

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Chapter notes:

Man this story is kind of depressing. Bet it's more depressing than you probably wanted it to be LoudLurker… So… Sorry about that. I couldn't help myself though.

I actually did some research specifically on Shub-Niggurath for this.

I did "…" as segment separators in this story instead of what I usually do, because I don't think me rambling about my day to day life would have fit the tone I was trying to achieve when writing this.

I hope you're happy with this LoudLurker. I think I did the best I could do with my understanding of the source material. If I plan on doing something similar in the future, I think I'll have to read more of the original stories. Hopefully the others have better endings than Call of the Cthulhu. Seriously, not spoiling anything. That story ends like a deflating balloon.

The first time I tried uploading this, it became a jumble of random garbage. It was totally unreadable. Hopefully that doesn't happen this time.


	2. Flagg1991s gift

You ever play Getting Over It? It's made by the same guy who made QWOP way back in the day. I'm pretty sure it's actually one mans effort to make the most frustratingly difficult game in existence. I wouldn't even necessarily classify it as a game. It's a game in the same way that searching for a grain of salt in a pile of sand is a game. Anyway, this is Flaggs gift.

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"Are you sure this is okay?" Ronnie Asked.

"Trust me, he'll never know." Clyde reassured her.

Maria watched her beloved hija and the Mcbride boy through the crack between the door and its frame. She knew his type. She'd seen men like him before. Men who had everything handed to them on a silver platter their entire life. They weren't necessarily bad men, but they always acted in a certain way.

The Mcbride boy lived a life of relative luxury. His two fathers doted upon him, giving him anything he could ask for and everything he wanted. He had a good memory and got excellent grades effortlessly. Maybe he wasn't popular, but he had even less popular friends who drew the ire of any would be bullies away from him. He had everything he wanted, except one thing.

He didn't have the love of Lincolns hermana. He wasn't used to not having something he wanted, he didn't know how to deal with it. Though, Maria suspected, he didn't intend to hurt his friend. Lincoln had something he wanted, but couldn't have. So he would take something Lincoln wanted away from him. In his mind, this was making things fair, because he had no perspective. He didn't understand the hardships that others face on a day to day basis. When he suffered a minor hardship, he assumed that nobody had it worse.

Ronnie Anne dropped, piercing herself on the Mcbride boy, and Maria backed away down the hall. She'd seen enough. She would not stop her hija from making this mistake. It was hers to make, and it was up to her to learn from it. However, Lincoln deserved to know that his novia wasn't who he thought she was.

Of course, this might be a one time thing. Ronnie might feel too guilty to do it again. She might tell Lincoln what she did herself. It was too harsh to punish her for what might be a one time mistake. It was too harsh to take Ronnies opportunity to make amends away from her. Maria would watch and wait. She would allow her hija to fix things as she willed, and only step in if Ronnie didn't.

Maria sat herself on her bed, missing the warmth that her marido used to provide. He'd been dead for years, but she couldn't help but miss him on days when she saw the romance of others. This case was no exception. It was just more heartbreaking.

She climbed under the covers, sat back against her pillows, put on her reading glasses, and picked up where she left off in her book, Más oscuro: Cincuenta sombras más oscuras contada por. It was a terrible book. The writing was awful, and the characters were unbelievable. A coworker had suggested it though, and she was determined to finish it. Besides, in this case, she needed something laughably bad to distract her from something tragically bad.

It was hours later, when the sun went down, that Ronnie found her again and asked about dinner. Maria couldn't bring herself to look at her hija at the moment.

"Order some pizza." She told her. "I'm not feeling up to cooking at the moment."

With a worried glance at her, Ronnie left the room. Maria could hear her in the other room, speaking on the phone.

I MADE CORNBREAD FROM SCRATCH. THEN I MADE CHOCOLATE SAUCE. THEN I POURED THE CHOCOLATE SAUCE ON THE CORNBREAD. IT WAS DELICIOUS.

Maria believed in her hija. She believed she would do the right thing and tell her novio that she'd been unfaithful. She believed she would realize her mistake and cut off her relationship with the Mcbride boy. She honestly believed all of this, so when Ronnie made no move to correct the situation, Maria was saddened. She wondered where she went wrong in raising her hija. She wondered if she'd similarly failed her hijo. It was heartbreaking.

With each new encounter between Ronnie and Mcbride, Maria heard from Lincoln less and less. He was confused and hurt by Ronnie ignoring him, and Maria always had to give an excuse and wave him away. She had to give her hija the chance to fix things, but as Lincoln drifted away further and further, it became apparent to Maria that Ronnie Anne wasn't going to make things right.

When Ronnie took the initiative to invite Mcbride over, instead of the other way around, as it usually was, Maria knew she'd let things go too far. She waited until Mcbride arrived at the house, and disappeared into Ronnies room, then she made a phone call of her own.

"Loud residence, Rita speaking, may I ask who's calling?" Came from the speaker.

"Hi Rita, this is Maria Santiago, is Lincoln there?" Maria put on her most pleasant smile. Rita couldn't see her, but a facial expression was often expressed in your voice as well. If she frowned, Rita would hear it.

"Oh, Maria!" Rita exclaimed, "It's been awhile. Hmm." She hummed. "He should be home, let me check."

The line went quiet for a minute, but Maria could hear faint sounds of someone shouting. Probably to be heard over everything else that went on in that house. It was nostalgic. The activity and life, the Loud house radiated, reminded her of her own childhood. She always felt at home in a crowd of loved ones. She'd wanted to have more children, but her beloved marido died before it could happen. It made her wistful about what could have been.

"Mrs. Santiago?" She was startled from her thoughts by Lincolns voice coming through the speakers. "Did you need something?"

"Lincoln!…" She started strong before trailing off. Now that she was actually here, she didn't know what to say. How did one explain that their hija had been cheating for weeks. It was almost enough to make her hang up the phone right there, but she couldn't do that. She'd be just as bad has Ronnie if she did.

"Mrs. Santiago?" He sounded confused.

"I have something I need to show you." She managed to get out.

"Is something wrong?" His voice took on a note of concern. He was such a sweet boy. Better than her hija deserved. It pained Maria to think that, but taking current events into consideration, Lincoln really deserved so much better.

"No! Yes… no." She back tracked a few times. "Look, I really need you to come over. Can you do that for me?" She pleaded.

"Yeah, sure…" He paused, "If somethings wrong, you can tell me." He assured her. "I'm here for you." Maria trembled, closing her eyes and bowing her head. His world was about to be torn to shreds and he was offering her support. He didn't deserve this.

"I'm fine." She fought to keep her voice steady. "Just come over, please?"

"I'll be right there. See you in a few."

"Bye." She replied, hanging the phone back on the hook.

She spent the next few minutes in silence. Sitting by the front door to her house, waiting for the sweetest boy she knew to come so she could shatter him.

She looked up when a knock came from the door. Rising to her feet, she crossed to open it before he got the idea to ring the doorbell. She didn't want Ronnie to hear it and stop what she was doing. She opened the door, just as he was raising his hand to knock again. Her breath caught in her throat at the sight of him. He was hansom, and beautiful, and his presence here drove home what was about to happen more than anything else had over the last few days. Him being here made it all feel more real and a hundred times more tragic.

"Mrs. Santiago?" He asked, concern in his tone. She flinched and invited him inside.

They sat down at the kitchen table, and she wrung her hands together, staring that the surface in front of her.

"Mrs. Santiago?" She flinched again. Being called that. It wasn't fair. As if he was lower than her. As if he didn't deserve her respect. It normally wasn't a huge issue, but he needed something, something good to counter all the bad.

"I-I… You need to see something." She held his attention. "Ronnie has been doing something without your knowledge and I waited for her to tell you, but she never did, and it's been going on for a few weeks now." She was rambling. "I didn't know what to do, and I almost hung up on you when I called you earlier because I couldn't bring myself to tell you what it was, but you're here now, and you need to see it."

His hands enclosed around hers and he whispered soothingly, "breath."

She took a few calming breaths before continuing.

"I just want you to know that I'm here for you." She needed to make sure he understood that. "Anything you need to help you get over this. I'll do whatever I can, no matter what it is." She held his gaze for a few moments. "Go to Ronnie Annes room. Open the door without knocking. You need to see what's inside."

His face hardened with determination and he rose from his chair, moving to exit the kitchen and go down the hall. He stopped when her hand caught his arm and looked back at her.

"And please, call me Maria." She gave him a last request. He nodded, a smile briefly breaking over his lips, before his expression hardened again and he pulled from her grasp to walk down the hall.

Maria was left in the kitchen, cringing in on herself as she waited for the inevitable. She didn't have to wait long. A door banged open, followed by Ronnie Annes high pitched scream of fright. There where several tense moments of silence, before she saw Lincoln marching back down the hall, his face set in stoney fury. Maria ducked back into the kitchen when she was Ronnie round the corner as well. She wasn't even half dressed. She had a pair of panties on and was clutching a shirt to her chest.

"Lincoln wait!" She cried.

Lincoln stopped in the middle of the living room, and turned to face her. Silent, waiting for her to give whatever excuse she was going to give.

"I… I…" She floundered, shrinking under his glare. "I didn't mean for it to go this far."

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't end everything here." Lincoln ground out.

"I-I'll make it up to you."

"How?"

"I'll do anything!" She cried, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Anything?"

"Anything." She reaffirmed.

Lincolns gaze swept the room as he thought, until he locked eyes with Maria, her head peaking from around the door frame that lead into the kitchen. His stare bore into her, as if asking her if she'd really meant what she said earlier. Maria nodded her head. He blinked and tore himself away from her. Bringing his gaze back to Ronnie.

"I'm going to have sex with your mom." Ronnie recoiled in shock, and Maria couldn't help but gasp. Was she really willing to do that? Yes, she found she was. "And you're going to watch." He finished.

"I-I-I" Ronnie stuttered. "T-there's no way my mom would agree to that. Are you going to rape her?" She quailed under his stare.

Maria, solidified to resolve and stepped into the room with the other two. Lincoln met her eyes with his, acknowledging her. Ronnie Anne jumped in shock.

"M-mom!"

"He's not going to rape me." She told her daughter "I'm going to have sex with him willingly."

He daughter reeled in shock. Staring helplessly at the two standing across from her.

WELL, I'M FAIRLY PROUD OF HOW I HANDLED THAT SITUATION. IT COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN RUINED.

After seeing Mcbride from the premises, Maria, Lincoln, and Ronnie Anne quickly found themselves sequestered away in the master bedroom. Ronnie, having dressed herself, jittered in place as she sat on a chair in the corner. She looked at them every once in a while, before flinching and looking away. Maria stood beside her bed, facing Lincoln. His face was shadowed and his entire body was tense, but he took deep breaths, seemingly trying to calm himself.

Maria eyes fell over his form. In the years that Lincoln had been dating her daughter, he'd grown into himself. He wasn't done growing yet, but his shoulders were broad and he had some muscle filling his frame.

Maria took the initiative. Brining her hands down on his shoulders, he looked up at her, as she snapped open button after button down his shirt. He followed suit. Bringing his hands up to unbutton and unzip her skirt. He curled his fingers around the band of her panties and dragged them down her legs.

As her womanhood came into his view, his breath caught in his lungs, and Maria realized something about her partner for the evening. He was a virgin. A fondness glowed in her chest, as she realized something. Motivated by anger or not, he'd chosen her to be his first. She felt a little guilty to be taking his first time, but she supposed it was better her, than Ronnie Anne. Maria resolved herself to making his first time special.

She reached up and cupped his head in her palms, gently turning him to face her, she closed the distance between them. Her lips molded onto his, and she felt his tongue dart out searchingly. He may have been inexperienced in sex, but he had more than enough practice in the art of kissing. Her tongue met his in a mutual dance. Neither trying to dominate the other. His hands found the buttons on her shirt and with each one that was snapped away, Marias awareness of the world around her faded. She was focused on a task. She was focused on making Lincolns first time special.

Her hands unzipped his pants and she hooked a thumb into his boxers to pull them down, even as he fumbled with the hook of her bra. After a few failed attempts, he succeeded at releasing her breasts. They broke away for air, their breathing deep and uneven. She fell back onto her bed, dragging him with her and latched her mouth onto a vein on the side of his throat. Air sharply filled his lungs, and he groaned, even as he struggled to find something to do with his hands. He seized her mounds, stroking and squeezing them. His thumbs flicking over her hardening nubs, he twisted, pulled, and rubbed them, refining his efforts as she made noises of appreciation or discomfort.

Eventually pulling away from his throat, she bit her lip and stifled a gasp as he seized one of her nubs between his teeth. Rasping and massaging across the surface with his tongue. The organ leaving trails of ice against her searing skin. He switched breasts, and his fingers undulated across the one her left behind. Pressing and squeezing, using the spit as a lubricant.

She plunged her hand down between them, wrapping her digits around his shaft. Feeling the heat emanating off it. It was a wonder he wasn't being rougher. Going slow like this had to be torture for him, but she held back for her sake. She felt the warmth in her heart spread lower. Reaching down to her core. She could feel herself melting under his attention. Dripping onto the bed sheets beneath them.

Pulling him into another heated kiss, she lined his length up with her entrance and bucked up, spearing herself on him. Her walls pulled tight around him as she stretched to hold his length. Her core weeping to create extra lubrication, he slowly pulled out. His skin dragging agonizingly against her inner walls, until they were almost disconnected. He pushed back in just as gently, and Maria clenched her teeth. The slow, drawn out motions were absolute torment. It'd been a while since she'd been with a man, and she found she didn't have the resistance she had before. She bucked her hips again, sheathing him in her with a quicker motion and he took the hint. Dragging out and thrusting back in, his pace picked up as the pleasure coiled inside her like a spring. She wrapped her legs around his waist and drove him ever faster, her walls undulating and rippling, sending burst and jolts of static like pleasure through her with every downward thrust. She could feel her walls molding around him. His breath came in heavy and erratic. His motions becoming inconsistent.

Maria rolled them over so she was on top, and lifted herself up, to drop down as hard as she could. She bounced on his shaft with a building frenzy, feeling her release approach. The feeling built until it couldn't anymore, and like an uncoiling spring, she felt a surge of electricity surge through her nervous system. She locked in place, her juiced spraying from around his shaft, and soon after found herself melting onto his body. Then she felt the pulse, as his length jerked and sprayed. His seed reaching deep into her.

His warmth suffused her, and she felt it reach a place she'd only ever felt seed reach twice before. With a content smile on her face, she knew what happened. Falling to her side, she pulled her lover close.

"Marry me." He whispered to her.

The words trickled through her ears, into her brain, and she couldn't help but giggle.

"If you still feel this way when you're eighteen, ask me again."

He nodded against her. His eyes closing, they were about to drift off, until a moan snapped them back to reality. They'd forgotten about Ronnie Anne. Looking back at the chair she'd been sitting in, they were greeted with her rumpled and sweaty visage. Her eyes were closed, and she had a hand shoved down the front of her shorts, rapidly pumping her digits in and out of herself. With a creaking groan, she released. A stain growing on the front of her shorts, even as she pulled her dripping fingers from her pants.

Her eyes fluttered back open and she froze upon being met with their incredulous stares.

WELL, I HOPE THAT WAS AS SATISFYING AS I TRIED TO MAKE IT. I DON'T THINK IT TOPPED MY LINCOLN AND LYNN SCENE, BUT IT'S STILL GOOD.

It was on Layla Louds fourth birthday, that she watched her mom and dad actually get married. She was surrounded on both sides by her siblings, Ronnie Anne, and Bobby. On Bobbys other side was his wife, Lori. Layla was tempted to stand from her seat and wave at the people she knew, but she didn't want to be scolded.

Her mom and dad stood at a podium, behind which a priest stood, and after saying a few words, they kissed each other. Ronnie Annes eyes dropped. Layla didn't know why, but for some reason, Ronnie always became depressed when both of their parents were in the room. Also Ronnie didn't call their dad, dad. Layla didn't get it. Dad was Laylas dad, and Ronnie was Laylas sister, so dad must also be Ronnies dad. It made sense to Layla. Some things were just mysterious though, Layla had learned.

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Chapter notes:

As a general rule, I like to give believable reasons for things. I want events to make sense, even if they're totally chaotic. You might not be able to predict what's going to happen in the moment, but why it happened should always make sense, after the fact. I had some trouble coming up with a reason for Clyde and Ronnie to have sex. I eventually just had to change who Clyde was as a person. I also had some trouble thinking of a reason for Maria to have sex with Lincoln. That one was slightly easier to resolve.

I would like to bring to your attention a chapter of Harry Potter written entirely by a piece of predictive software that has all seven original books in its memory banks. The computer written book is called Harry Potter And The Portrait Of What Looked Like A Large Pile Of Ash. It only has like four and a half pages completed so far, and I don't know if any more are going to be made, but it's insane.

I used the Spanish words for family designations because I figured, Maria is Spanish. While she's definitely been in the United States for a while, and she'd definitely fluent in english. Family designations are personal. They're close to the heart. She would want to use the Spanish words for family designations because the Spanish language is her first language. It has a personal significance to her.

The use of "daughter" instead of "hija" was not a typo. It means something specific within the context of the story.

I haven't experienced this feeling since I was writing the first set of eleven chapters for Splitting Hairs. A sort of sucking feeling in my chest that urges me to continue writing until I'm finished. It's almost torture.

A typo that I almost missed, and only caught on my third read through of this, was that one time I accidentally spelled Marias name as Mario. It was kind of funny.

Hija = daughter, hermana = sister, novia = girlfriend, marido = husband, novio = boyfriend,  
hijo = son.

I hope the ending was satisfactory. If you hated it, tell me. I'll make the ending anything you want it to be.


	3. AberrantScripts gift

I hope that if Archemios ever writes a sequel to his Familia Amore story, he puts in a reference to my spin off story. You ever try plain aloe vera juice? Not aloe vera drink, which is when they add all the floaty bits and the sweeteners. Just plain, unaltered, aloe vera juice. It tastes like water, but has aftertaste of really strong kool aid. This is AberrantScripts gift, I hope he likes it.

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Nothing, she couldn't think of anything. No notes came, no melodies formed, no lyrics flowed. She was standing in an amphitheater with no instruments. Everything she wanted to say, everything she felt, everything she thought. It all refused to be put into song. It was too much. What was she supposed to do? How was she supposed to get her attention. Sam. She was great, perfect, BRILLIANT, but Luna couldn't find the correct words!

She collapsed onto her bed, looking down at her ax, she wished it was easy. She wished she could just go up to her and tell her how she really felt. She wished her love note had actually done what it was supposed to. A weight pushed down on her from above. All her hopes, her desires, her dreams of the future. They all relied on her getting what she wanted to say across to her crush perfectly. She couldn't mess it up! She just couldn't. It was all or nothing, and at the moment she had nothing. She had everything to gain, if only the music would flow.

A pressure weighed her down, as she struggled to believe she could do it. Struggled to hold herself with upright confidence. The strain was almost too much to bear and she could feel composure bending under the force. She wasn't broken yet though, and if she could hold on through this, she could leave her worries behind. She gripped her guitar, unconsciously channeling her stress into it.

She just had to hold on. Hold on. Hold on… There was a horrible crack, and Lunas eyes snapped open. She stared down at her guitar, in two pieces. The neck in one hand and the body in the other. Her knuckles were whitened in a death grip. Her hands trembled, and after a moment she realized it wasn't just her hands. Her vision blurred as tracks of heat made there way down her cheeks. A wet sob forced it's way from her mouth, and she curled in on herself. Protectively cradling the broken instrument as if it were a part of her body.

"Hey Luna? Have you seen my sunglasses?" From the corner of her eye, Luna could see the blurry shape of Leni step into the room.

Leni stopped, staring at her, before rushing over and wrapping her in a tight embrace.

"Are you okay Luna?" She asked softly.

Luna couldn't bring herself to answer. Her body trembled and another damp whimper escaped her.

"What's wrong?" Leni asked.

A shudder shook Lunas frame.

"… I love you." Leni told her. She couldn't help the surprised laugh that bubbled from her.

Luna uncurled, revealing her ruined guitar to her sister, who gasped at seeing it and kneeled in front of her to get a closer look. Leni hesitantly reached a hand out to touch it. Lifting it from Lunas hands, she set it on the floor in front of her. slipping a hand into one of her dress pockets, she retrieved a band-aid. She stripped off the packaging and peeled off the backing with the ease of constant practice, before positioning the guitar so the broken edges were lined up and applying the bandage to the break. Watching her sister work, Luna felt her shuddering stop. The pressure lifted. Her tears stopped.

"I've fixed it." Leni announced as she lifted the instrument into the air.

Of course the flimsy strip holding the two pieces together wasn't strong enough to hold for long, so it didn't surprise Luna in the least when the pieces broke apart again a second later.

Though, still a reminder of her recent troubles, Luna couldn't help but let out a raspy chuckle at the sight.

"I don't think a band-aid is going to be enough to fix it." She leaned forward and pulled a confused Leni into another hug.

"Why not?" Leni asked. "It's hurt, band-aids fix hurt."

Luna struggled to think of a way she could explain things to her sister.

"This is more like your wood working than an injury." She told her older sister

Lenis eyes lit up in comprehension. Rising to her feet, she picked up the guitar and walked quickly to the door.

"I know what to do." She slipped through the opening and disappeared down the hall.

Luna was left waiting on her bed for a few minutes, until Leni appeared in the doorway again, holding Lunas guitar over her head. She brought it down for Luna to look at, and see that Leni had applied wood working glue to the break. It would take a while for it to dry, but when it did, her guitar would be almost good as new. She took the instrument in her hands and held it close.

She felt tears leak from her eyes again. This time, tears of happiness. Then she heard the sound of paper and film being peeled. She looked in time to see Leni, her tongue poking from the corner of her mouth in concentration, apply a new band-aid to the break.

"Band-aids make everything better." She declared, a wide grin stretching over her face.

A grin that Luna couldn't help by try to match.

...

The next morning, when Luna picked up her newly fixed guitar to tune it, she noticed something. Some wood glue had seeped from the seal. The band-aid was now permanently attached.

This was her new favorite guitar, Luna decided.

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Chapter notes:

If it's not obvious by now, chapter notes aren't necessarily notes about the chapter. They could be, but just as often they'll be random thoughts I had while writing.

DO A FLIP!

It took me a while to decide what to do with this one. The picture it's based on is a sweet and touching image, but there's definitely more to it that you're not seeing. There's a context you're not seeing. Something lead up to that point, because I doubt Luna would break down crying over a ruined guitar. It would probably piss her off, but that alone wouldn't be enough to make her crumple in on herself and fall to tears. At first, I tried to make a story using on the information given in the image. That didn't work though. Then I settled on the idea of filling in the context for myself. Once I accomplished that, I was able to write a story that captured the spirit of the image, but isn't restricted by it.

I believe I'm being effected by depression again. I recognize the symptoms. A feeling of lethargy, not wanting to do anything, loss of confidence in myself, the feeling that I'm bothering others with my existence. It's not as bad as it used to be. I'll probably be back to normal in a few days.

This is a short one. I hope you're okay with that Aberrant.


	4. Flagg's gift

Christmas gift for Flagg. I only hope this meets his standards, as this isn't the type of thing I usually write. Though, a little challenge never hurts... Unless you fail the challenge to juggle thirty chainsaws.

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Oh this was balderdash! Pardon her language… Not that anyone could hear her when she wasn't speaking out loud, but why did Lily and her beloved have to sleep in different beds? She huffed in annoyance, her hands on her hips as she looked across the provided room. If she'd had it her way, she and her lovely Lincoln would be sleeping together on one wide bed. She wasn't the one to design the ship however, and wasn't that a positively amusing thought. A woman designing a boat! Oh, it left her in a fit. Giggles shook her frame.

Granted, her older sister might have been able to do it. An educated girl. The question was if anyone would let her.

Hmm, still, she hadn't designed the boat. Maybe she could push the beds together? Ah! But not right now. She'd a date to keep with her beloved, who was undoubtedly waiting outside the door like the perfect gentleman she'd fallen in love with. She slipped into her dress for the evening. Doing up everything she could before reaching the snag. The corset would only tighten from the back, and as much as she might wish it, her hands simply couldn't reach.

"Darling!" She sang through the closed door, giving it a proper knock to grab his attention. "Could you come in and help a flower out with the back of her dress?"

Stepping back from the portal as her beloved slipped in. Her gaze sweeping fondly over his slightly ruffled visage. Well off he might have been, he always seemed a little uncomfortable in the presence of riches and finery. Ever since they were children. He'd learned to be more confident as he grew older, but she didn't think he'd ever be more comfortable cavorting at parties than he would be hiking in the woods. Still, he cleaned up well, and despite all that, he was an excellent dancer.

"I don't see how you can stand this." He closed the door in his wake, and moved to help her with her dress. "It doesn't look very comfortable."

"Hmm," She grunted quietly when he tightened up the straps. She could barely breath, though she'd been told that the secret was to take quick, shallow, breaths. "Well you're right about that, but it's not meant to be comfortable. You don't like wearing your suits, but you still do." She pointed out, breathing out sharply through her nose as another strap was tightened to match the first. "These are for special occasions. To look good for the rabble, and show off to the bee."

"I don't believe that our situations are quite the same." He did up another strap, causing her to grunt once more. "Are you okay?"

Awww, he was so precious when he was concerned for her. Some husbands kept their wives just to show off. Not her Lincoln though. It warmed her heart to know he cared so much. A benefit of having been child hood friends, she supposed. Though, in this situation it might be warranted. She felt as though her ribs were being crushed into her lungs.

"It might be that the last strap was just a pinch too much." She managed to breath out, gasping in relief when he loosened it again. Not too much though. It was still quite tight. A balance had to be struck between looking good and feeling good. She'd most likely hit that balance now. "Thank you Darling." She turned around and pressed her lips lightly against his.

She pulled away before the kiss could go on too long. Though they weren't in the company of others, they were about to be, and it wouldn't due to lose themselves and their sense of discretion. Loose lips sunk ships after all… Ooh… That didn't feel good to say, given their location. She didn't consider herself a superstitious girl, but one could never be too careful.

Though she was also fairly certain she'd not used the phrase correctly. She'd once heard her older sister use it, but Lisa was an educated woman. Lily was not.

Still, she looped her arm through Lincoln's and lead him from their room, that brought her back to the beds. Most likely as a consequence of growing up with four elder siblings, and being childhood friends with Lincoln who had five older sisters of his own, she'd never seen the point in sleeping in separate beds. Decency in public was all well and good, but it all felt a bit silly. The fad among the wealthy to pretend that they'd never partake of the flesh of another. Most of them had children. Did they want to pretend they'd all been immaculate conceptions? Besides, it felt a bit frigid to forbid a couple from simply sleeping together.

The sound of orchestral music echoed off the walls and down the halls from the hustle and bustle of the glass ceilinged ball room. Lily led her Darling up the curving stairs, and into the fray. The lights and the sounds hitting them both like a wave.

Maybe they could push the beds together?

"Oh, Lily, Lincoln, there you are!" A voice, joined by a body, pulled them further into the boodle, and Lily quickly discarded her train of thought for later consideration.

Pulled along by the arm, she found herself swept into a conversation with her fellow ladies. Meaningless, but dreadfully amusing, chatter about the latest gossip, the newest news.

"Oh, did you hear the latest about Damien Summers?"

"Do tell."

"Apparently he was caught with the maid. Out of wedlock, and not with his fiancé besides."

"The Lord and Lady must have had conniptions!"

Positively droll, though it was, Lily still found herself drawn away. At some point during the night she'd been separated from her beloved, and she intended the find him. This was a dance after all, and she intended to make the most of it. There was no point otherwise. Why put on the dress and come up here if she didn't get to live a little. She could converse with the ladies any time. First though, she slipped through the crowd to the refreshment table. A stiff drink never hurt anybody.

Drink in hand the search was on. though not particularly long. Lincoln wasn't hard to find. His blond, almost white, hair, in a sea of dark. Even had he not that identifying characteristic he'd not be difficult to find. Poor deer had never been comfortable mingling among the wealthy. She'd almost think he was new money, if she'd not known him her entire life. Lincoln had always been more comfortable in the rough and tumble wilderness. Camping, horseback riding, hiking and such.

Tipping back the last of her drink, she felt the pleasant lightness of the bubbly tip her off her feet. Lifting her as though a balloon were attempting to drag her skyward. She tittered, finding the sensation most agreeable. Though she'd be careful not to have another. One was enough to spice up the party. Too many and she'd send her stomach in revolt.

She glanced over the boodle for her Darlings distinctive crown and set through the masses when she found him.

Then she was off her feet. Funny, she hadn't thought she was corned enough to begin losing her sense of balance. Was the world around her always so shaky? Was it just her?

"Lily!" Lincoln was in front of her. She'd been distracted. "Are you alright?"

Maybe it wasn't just her. A couple people around her had fallen down as well.

"W-what was that?" She steadied herself against his solid frame.

"I don't know." Lincoln looked serious. A silence had fallen on the crowd. Everyone looking at everyone else in hushed askance. "Let's go ask someone." He took her hand, drawing her along behind him as he pushed his way towards the stairs to the top deck.

A crackle and squawk sounded from a few of the speakers in the room, stoping him and grabbing everyone else's attention. Static buzzing for a second or two, before someone starting speaking. "Attention passengers, we've run into some difficulties. Nothing to worry about, but we'd ask that you calmly make your way to the deck." Another squawk, and the speaker cut off, only to be replaced by the curious murmuring of an anxious and puzzled crowd.

Lily straightened herself, walking in step with Lincoln, as he started forward again. Making their way up the steps with a portion of the rest of the people in the room. Though some stayed behind. She could overheard snippets of chatter.

"They said there was nothing to worry about." One particularly liquored madam giggled, a flush to her face and a horn of wine in her hand. "I'm sure everything's fine."

Though they'd said that there was nothing to worry about, Lily couldn't help think those who stayed behind a bit daft. As the ship lurched, and she stumbled forward a bit, her worry and certainty only grew.

The sight that met them when the came out onto the deck sent her heart reeling up to her throat. Beating painfully and making it hard to swallow, even as her mouth dried at the sight of water flooding onto the lower decks.

Before she had the opportunity to really focus on the sight, she found herself being directed by some sailors garbed in life vests. Some holding floatation devices. Lily forced herself to calm down. Everything was fine. They were at the front of the crowd, and those behind them hadn't begun to panic yet. This was good, and no doubt the sailors intention when telling them there wasn't anything to worry about. As long as she and Lincoln could find their way onto a lifeboat before the rush started they'd be fine.

Then a sailor attempted to separate her from her beloved, and she wasn't fine anymore.

"Women and children first." They said.

But Lily understood what they really meant. They were leaving the men on the ship to die.

A hand on her back joined the hand on her arm, attempting to separate her from Lincoln, and she wrenched away. Turning around to find the hand on her back had belonged to Lincoln himself.

"Go on." He looked calm, but she could see past the facade. Beneath it he was grimly serious and deathly afraid. "I'm sure they have enough life boats for everyone. I'll join up with you later, on shore."

"I'm not leaving you."

"Lily." He cupped her cheek in one hand. "I'll be fine. We're just going to be in different life boats."

"I'm not blind Lincoln. I may not be educated like my sister, but I can see what's going on here." She stared into his eyes deeply. "They don't expect you to live through this."

Closing his eyes, he sighed heavily. "That's even more reason for you to go."

"I Won't." She stood firm.

"It doesn't make sense for both of us to die Lily!" He pulled her into a hug. "One of us has to go home and tell our families what happened."

"There are others for that."

"You're going to die if you stay with me!" He pleaded with her a final time.

"I know."

He gave a deep shuttering sigh. "Fine." Squeezing her even tighter. "Then we'll have to find a life jacket, and some floatation devices."

He pulled her to a nearby sailor, who was himself just barely holding it together. Asking for directions to where they stored such necessities. To get a hold of one, before it was too late. They grabbed a pair of each for both of them, and were met with a decision. Step off into the waters now, and fight the freezing temperatures for longer, or wait until the ship had sunk more into the water. By then, people would have realized what was happening. They would panic. Some might try to steal their means of salvation.

Taking a deep breath, they made their way down to the lower decks. They'd wait, but only until people started to panic, and then they'd push off and take their chances with the chilling depths.

Lily held her beloved close to her. Drinking in his warm and steady presence, even as the foaming water grew ever closer to them. Then the screams started, and it was time to go.

A shock ran through her body on contact with the water. Chilling her to her bones in an instant. She heard Lincoln stifle a groan at her side, and she pulled him closer. Wading into the brine, and pushing away from the ship. The icy drink set her to shivering. Her breath fogged thick when she breathed out and she closed her eyes. Trusting her beloved to guide her. Her dress soaked through, felt as though it were attempting the drag her to her grave. But she kept her eyes closed. She couldn't see anything, and she didn't want to see anything. She heard the screams, and the fighting. She heard the creaking and the groaning of the ship. She heard children crying and mothers screaming. She heard a crash. Through it all, she kept her eyes closed. She could pretend that way. Pretend that this wasn't happening. Pretend that this was all a bad dream. Pretend that they were still on the ship. they'd pushed the beds together, and Lincoln was here to guide her through her nightmares. The water wasn't there. The cold didn't exist. Everything was fine. Even as her body numbed, and her mind fogged over, she held tightly to her beloved. And just before everything went dark, she felt him move. Pulling her through the water. And she thought she was a flash of light through her eyelids. But she didn't open them. They were too heavy.

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I figured it would be funny to include an alternate, less tragic, ending. You can find it just below this note. I'll take it out if Flagg doesn't like it though.

 **Alternate ending:**

"Oh, did you hear the latest about Damien Summers?"

"Do tell."

"Apparently he was caught with the maid. Out of wedlock, and not with his fiancé besides."

"The Lord and Lady must have had conniptions!"

Positively droll, though it was, Lily still found herself drawn away. At some point during the night she'd been separated from her beloved, and she intended the find him. This was a dance after all, and she intended to make the most of it. There was no point otherwise. Why put on the dress and come up here if she didn't get to live a little. She could converse with the ladies any time. First though, she slipped through the crowd to the refreshment table. A stiff drink never hurt anybody.

Drink in hand the search was on. though not particularly long. Lincoln wasn't hard to find. His blond, almost white, hair, in a sea of dark. Even had he not that identifying characteristic he'd not be difficult to find. Poor deer had never been comfortable mingling among the wealthy. She'd almost think he was new money, if she'd not known him her entire life. Lincoln had always been more comfortable in the rough and tumble wilderness. Camping, horseback riding, hiking and such.

Tipping back the last of her drink, she felt the pleasant lightness of the bubbly tip her off her feet. Lifting her as though a balloon were attempting to drag her skyward. She tittered, finding the sensation most agreeable. Though she'd be careful not to have another. One was enough to spice up the party. Too many and she'd send her stomach in revolt.

She glanced over the boodle for her Darlings distinctive crown and set through the masses when she found him.

Then she was off her feet. Funny, she hadn't thought she was corned enough to begin losing her sense of balance. Was the world around her always so shaky? Was it just her?

"Lily!" Lincoln was in front of her. She'd been distracted. "Are you alright?"

Maybe it wasn't just her. A couple people around her had fallen down as well.

"W-what was that?" She steadied herself against his solid frame.

"I don't know." Lincoln looked serious. A silence had fallen on the crowd. Everyone looking at everyone else in hushed askance. "Let's go ask someone." He took her hand, drawing her along behind him as he pushed his way towards the stairs to the top deck.

A crackle and squawk sounded from a few of the speakers in the room, stoping him and grabbing everyone else's attention. Static buzzing for a second or two, before someone starting speaking. "Attention passengers, we've crashed into an ice burg. Pick a partner and start fucking, because we're stuck here. It's time to rebuild society entirely from scratch."

"That doesn't sound good." Lincoln murmured.

"You think they'll let us push our beds together?"


	5. Scripts gift

This is a pretty short one, and I'm cutting it pretty close, but Aberrant said he wanted something cute for Christmas. This is a sequel to his gift from last year.

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Come on, please… She normally didn't beg gods, or higher beings, that may or may not exist, but she'd be willing to make an exception just to not mess this up.

She stood on the seat of her chair, her cloths and hair clinging to her body with sweat. Her muscles ached, her blood pounded, She had the most atrocious migraine. It felt like her heart was beating in her temples. Her body felt like she was experiencing early onset rigor mortis. But she couldn't be dead yet, as cold as she felt, shivering on the spot, her throat felt hot. A raw, painful, heat, every time she breathed in or out.

This had to work. Despite the pattern displayed by her last nine failures, she believed this would work. It had to work. She Needed it to work. She stood, her fingers grasping a vial poised to tip a single drop, and no more, into a larger beaker. She'd have done this with a more precise machine, but an explosion broke most of her mechanical equipment the previous day. She'd have waited until her equipment was fixed, but this was a time sensitive affair. She needed to do this now, and she needed it to work.

So carefully, Carefully, She tilted her hand to allow the liquid inside the vial closer to the edge. A spasm raced up her nerves, jerking her arm, and catching her breath in her throat. The chemical in the vial sloshed uncontrollably, and she hissed in anticipation, even as she forced control back into her body and tilted the vial back into an upright position.

Then she needed to breath and she stopped holding her breath, not even knowing when she started. It was fine. Everything was fine. She'd not just ruined the project for the tenth time running. If she was extra careful, everything would turn out okay.

She just… She just needed to relax, as much as was possible given the circumstances… Her muscles twisted almost painfully… Or maybe not. The effort paradoxically being more than she was capable of. Just stop than… Don't move. Regain control and… Do it again.

She carefully tipped the vial. Allowing the chemical to creep towards the lip of the glass. Slowly. Carefully. She watched the liquid bead on the edge until gravity won out against surface tension and a single drop separated from the rest, to fall into the waiting beaker.

Breathing a sigh of relief, she twisted the vial back into an upright positions, until. She focus homed in of the lip. The jerking motion of the twist was too much for the chemicals already tenuous hold on itself. Another drop fell and she watched as if in slow motion, hoping that it would miss its mark.

Of course, she wasn't that lucky, was she? With a deceptively gentle splash, the drop met the mixture in the beaker and Lisa watched hours of hard work go up in smoke. Not literally, but it might as well have. Instead the mixture turned yellow, and began to fizz over. The beaker fractured and finally shattered, sending shards of broken glass in every direction.

Lisa watched this all. Standing at a safe distance. Her back hunched. A damn slammed down on her emotions before she could scream, because she was better than that. She wasn't just some paltry four year old. She was Lisa Loud, girl genius. She was too mature to give into the temptation, even as she felt burning at the corner of her eyes. She sniffed a breath through her nose, and got to work sweeping up the bits.

A sharp stinging from her thumb whipped her sight down to it. A thin slice along the face, welling with crimson tears. Drawing in a shuddering breath, she found that despite what she told herself, despite what she might have wished, she couldn't help but cry.

Shivering shudders shook her frame, as tears tracked trails down her cheeks. Her vision was blurry. She tasted salt in her mouth. Her knees gave out from under her, and a wracking sob broke through her pressed lips. She couldn't stop herself.

"Lisa?" She heard Leni ask from behind the closed door. "I heard something break. Are you okay?"

Lisa didn't want Leni to come in. She didn't want her older sister to see her like this. When she opened her mouth though, she couldn't say it. A painful whine keening from her depths instead.

Leni's innocent face peaked around the frame of the door.

"Lisa!?" She swung the portal open and rushed across the room, sweeping Lisa up into a bone crushing hug.

Lisa didn't want her to be there. She didn't want to be seen like this. She was better than this. In spite of that though, the warmth of the hug soothed her tired muscles. She found herself involuntarily relaxing in her older sisters grip. The girls nonsensical cooing gathering her frayed nerves.

She allowed herself to be pulled into the older girls lap, as her hand was grasped gently in a pair larger than her own, and her injured thumb was brought up for examination.

"I know what to do." Leni informed her, reaching into a pocket in her dress.

Lisa hissed through her teeth. The sting of a disinfectant wipe on her torn skin. Then a pressure, as her injured digit was wrapped tenderly with a bandage. Warmth blossomed on contact when Leni leaned down and pressed her lips against the cut, on the other side of the bandage.

"Are you feeling better?"

Lisa didn't nod, even as she buried her tear streaked face deeper into Leni's shoulder. Her breathing slowing down. She'd never admit it, but maybe there was more to parental remedies than she thought… This was nice.


	6. A Gift for AbbyCat

I'm never actually sure when I'll do these. I'm only doing this now because I've fallen into a bit of a rut, and need something to get my creative juices flowing again. Regardless, here's the third story is an ongoing series about Leni helping her siblings out.

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Shuddering convulsions ran through her, as she gripped the steering wheel with a white knuckled grip. Colors and shapes blurred past her, not just because she was going faster than she should have been, but also because tears filled her eyes and streamed down her cheeks.

She wanted to bury her head in her hands, and just wake up from the nightmare, but she couldn't. Wouldn't it just be the perfect cap to the day if she got arrested for reckless driving after everything else that had happened. The thought would have made her chuckle… It was kind of funny… In a way…

Her grip got even tighter. Her bones pressing against her skin, as her knuckles strained, and her nails dug furrows into the leather. She pulled into the driveway, allowing herself a moment to break down and drop her head to meet the steering wheel. Her eyes burned, as she clenched them shut, and allowed the void to momentarily swallow her. Steeping her in a moment of abject defeat.

She couldn't let anyone find her like this though. Lifting her head, she centered herself for just a moment, before shifting the van into park and unclasping her seatbelt. She shuddered to a stop, as it all became too much for a moment. Then she gathered herself once more and stepped from the car, gently closing the door.

Standing there for a moment, she couldn't make herself move. Out in the open, she didn't want anyone to see her, but… She took long, slow, strides towards the front door. Up the steps. To the porch. Through the door. She passed the struggling form of Lincoln and Lynn, wrestling on the couch. She past Leni, coming down the stairs.

"Hey Lori!" Leni waved at her cheerfully.

Lori didn't say anything, continuing past her younger sister without slowing down.

"Lori?…" Leni's voice trailed off behind her, as she reached the top and crossed to her room.

Stepping through the door, she climbed onto her bed. Staring blankly out the window, until cracks appeared in her composure, and she shattered.

The most hideous sounds wrenching up her throat, from deep within her core. As though all the ugly that she hid deep inside herself was threatening to break out. And she wanted to stop. She so desperately wanted to stop. The trembling and the shaking. The guttural sounds of wet sobs, bubbling from her mucus lined throat. Tears running rivers down her face. They tasted salty

She wanted to bury her head in her sheets and never come back out.

"Lori?"

She startled, though she shouldn't have. An abortive jerk sent her lurching away from Leni's voice, as though running away would do anything. As if she had anywhere to go.

"Go a-away Leni." She tried to keep her voice steady. Tried to hide behind her authority as the eldest, because she was too pathetic to actually enforce it.

"Are you okay?" Leni stepped further into their room, closing the door firmly behind her.

"I-I said, GO AWAY LENI!" She put more force behind her words, because nobody could see her like this.

"Do you need a hug?" The younger girl approached her.

"Get- Get Away From Me!" Her hands lashed out to ward off her younger sibling. The palm of her hand crushing into Leni's face and turning her head aside, and Lori quickly pulled her hand back as though burnt.

She… She didn't mean to… She, she… Even as Leni turned her head back, Lori felt fresh tears well up in her eyes. The younger girls arms circled her, and she could do nothing to fight it as indecision drained her strength and she began to tremble again.

"It's okay." Leni breathed into her hair. "It's okay." The girls hands found their way to Lori's back, and Lori shivered as Leni's nails gently skittered over her skin.

"I… I'm…"

Leni shushed her, shaking her head from side to side. Just holding Lori. Squeezing her tight. And Lori found herself frozen solid. Her muscles locked as she fought to stop herself from shaking, and failed. She- she… She couldn't let Leni see her like this. It was too late, but… Being the oldest was her job. She might not always like it, and she may not always be the nicest, but she'd never abandon it. Not for anything in the world. Her eyes clenched shut. Hot failure streaming down her cheeks, despite her efforts to stop. She was the oldest. How was Leni supposed to feel safe coming to Lori if she knew how much of a mess Lori actually was? How was Lori supposed to be a rock for be younger siblings if she couldn't even stand on her own?

"I'm sorry Leni." She breathed, when she got control of her voice back.

"It's okay."

"It's not okay." Lori shook her head. "I shouldn't have… I just…"

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"I…" Did she? Yes… No… Maybe. Not with her siblings. She couldn't. She wasn't supposed to. She was the oldest. But Leni had already seen her like this. There was nothing she could do about it now, and she… It was painful to hold inside. The pressure inside her. She was breaking. "I just… I hate Carol _so_ much." The memory of the other girl tasted bitter in her mouth.

"Mmm? What she do?"

"I just… I can't stand her!" In her gut, a spark of anger ignited. It wasn't much, but it helped. "I-I…" She searched for the right words. "How is it that she's so much better than me in everything I do? How can she be so much better, and so much more put together at the same time?! I put everything I had into winning that election, but Carol just shows up, and suddenly she's literally all anyone cares about!" She pulled back from Leni's embrace, as she built up steam. "She shows up, and she's so perfect, and so confident, and so calm, and of course Bobby would want to date someone like her over me. What do I have that she doesn't have?!" She heaved for breath. "Anxiety, for one."

"What about Bobby? Is he breaking up with you? Why?" Leni's brow furrowed in angry confusion.

"No it's… It's stupid…" Lori let out a breath again, slumping further in on herself, and mumbling the rest into her knees. "I… I just saw him talking to her, after she was announced the winner… It doesn't mean anything, but I can't… What if it does?" She glanced up to catch Leni's gaze with her own. "W-what if he realizes h-how much better Carol is?"

"Carol's not better than you." Leni stated firmly.

"Have you seen her!? Have you seen how much better she is at everything?!"

"She's not better than you. You're Lori."

Despite everything, Lori couldn't help the laughter that bubbled from her throat, at her younger sisters unshakable belief in her. Even with everything else that happened that day… It was nice.

"Thanks Leni… But you can't just use my existence as proof that I'm better… It just… It literally doesn't work that way."

"Why not?" The question was asked too innocently. Lori almost couldn't take it. A surge of affection, for her sister, raced through her veins.

"It's just…" She struggled to find the right words. "What about me makes me better?"

"Well…" The fashionista's face scrunched up in concentration "Carol doesn't have any siblings right?"

"Yeah?" She couldn't help but wonder where Leni was going with this.

"So she has more time to do stuff."

"Huh." The thought struck her. Silencing everything else, as it sunk in.

"You're Lori." Leni reiterated. "You have nine younger sisters, and one younger brother, who you love and take care of every day. You're smart, and you're nice, and you always make sure we're okay." Leni smiled at her brightly. "You have to do all that stuff, and you still find time for Bobby, and the things you love. Carol isn't better than you. She doesn't even come close to being as good as you."

"H-huh…" She was frozen. Her raging emotions settling to a gentle swirl underneath the surface. It didn't fix everything. She still lost. She still didn't know if Bobby… But she had to have faith in him, right? Yeah… So, no, things weren't fixed, but… They were better. "Thanks Leni." A watery smile split across her face. Then her eyes flickered to the bruise forming across her younger sisters cheek. "O-oh…" Her smile dropped. "I'm sorry." She stood from her bed, reaching down to grasp Leni's hand. "Let's take care of that." She gestured towards Leni's cheek with her other hand.

"No, it's alright." Despite her words, Leni allowed herself to be dragged to her feet, but she pulled from Lori's grasp and slipped her hand into one of her pockets. "I totes got this." With the ease of practice, she held up a large patch bandage, and peeled away the paper and plastic. She paused though, before adhering it to her cheek, leaning closer to Lori, a hopeful smile playing in her expression. "Kiss it better?"

Her smile hurt her face. Giggles shook her frame. "Sure Leni." And she stepped forward to plant her softest smooch onto the center of Leni's bruise.

"Thanks Lori." The younger girls smile lit up the room, and she carefully placed the bandage over the discolored skin. "Let's go see what the others are doing." She snatched up Lori's hand in her own. Her fingers splayed between Lori's, and holding her. And without resistance, Lori let herself be led from the room.

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I sure hope this lives up to the others in the series.


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